"Tsk."

Watching Turing and Merka being affectionate with each other, Oedipus licked her lips indifferently and seemed to lose interest in joking around.

She gave a cold glare at Merka and impatiently reached out her hand towards him.

"But well, I'll let you live."

"Who do you think you are, a savior? Actually, to me, you are nothing."

"For me, there's no essential difference between taking care of you and taking care of Maria."

"London, bring all his relics here for me."

"So he doesn't cause any trouble for me again."

Oedipus raised her sleeve slightly and put her hand behind her back. London immediately understood, walked over with a sly smile, crouched down, one hand gripping Merka's wrist, and the other hand reaching towards the earlobe where Merka wore an earring.

London's grip was strong, she forced Merka's fingers together, causing him intense pain.

With a dull snapping sound of bones breaking, London didn't hesitate at all, and tore off a piece from Merka's cheek along with the earlobe and the relics on it.

"Ah!!"

Merka writhed in pain, gritting his teeth and groaning softly.

"It doesn't hurt... It doesn't hurt, ugh."

"It doesn't hurt, ugh. Phew, may all the pain fly away."

Turing, like a mother, gently patted Merka's chest and blew air on the bloody side of his face. Soon, flesh sprouted, and a new ear grew in the same spot.

"And the one on his neck."

Oedipus extended her fair slender hand and pointed at Merka's neck.

London's gaze moved to Merka's chest and found the shining golden necklace, nodding slightly towards Oedipus.

She reached out again, gave it a strong pull, and the necklace snapped.

Countless gold bars and grains fell into the crevices of the ruins, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"No, don't... that was Mulan's last..."

Merka's body struggled slightly, but Turing didn't say anything, just extended her tendrils, embracing Merka gently, preventing him from moving.

Her tendrils, full of the fragrance of Coreopsis, spread over Merka, sipping the last trace of consciousness from his mind.

Turing's strong body scent acted like an advanced sedative, constantly licking the agitated nerves of Merka.

"And the last one, his eyes."

"That's Joan's relic, bring it too," said Oedipus coldly.

Hearing this, London raised an eyebrow playfully. She turned, hand reaching towards Merka's eye sockets.

"No, no... just this one..."

Merka was genuinely frightened.

As London's hand approached, Merka's brain raced, then he looked towards Oedipus not far away.

Merka's eyes were full of endless resentment and determination.

He kept calculating, wondering what chances he had to take Oedipus down.

But the more he thought, the more his head throbbed.

Merka's once agile brain, now felt like a stone, blocked by pain, gears grinding to a halt.

White-faced, eyes bulging, breathing heavily but feeling no air in his lungs.

His heart pounded rapidly – as if even his lungs were being squeezed by the rapidly expanding heart.

Before Merka could make up his mind, London's hand was already at his eye corner.

However, Turing intervened, grabbing London's hand.

London looked at Turing, then back at Oedipus, seeming lost for a moment.

Turing pushed herself up from the ground with effort.

Warmly wrapped in the fragrance of flowers, she slowly detached herself from Merka.

Merka looked up at Turing in confusion, feeling as if a part of his soul was being drawn away.

"Mother, leave one relic for Merka."

"Otherwise, he won't be able to see anything..."

"Besides, with just this bit of magic, he poses no threat to you, right?"

Turing's tone was light, as if talking to a complete stranger rather than her own mother.

"When asking your mother for a favor, how should you speak?"

"I must have taught you before, show me how it's done."

With a smile, Oedipus's eyes and eyebrows flowed gently.

Her eyes, like flooding stars, reflected in a tranquil lake.

Upon hearing this, Turing, in a slight daze, mimicked perfectly a noblewoman's courtesy - placing a hand on her chest, bending her knees, lifting her leg, pulling in her abdomen, slightly bowing.

"Respected Madam Mother, your child apologizes to you."

"She begs for your forgiveness... and implores your indulgence for her recklessness."

Merka stared wide-eyed at Turing conversing with Oedipus, unable to speak a word.

The absurd reality tore his mental world into pieces like a dagger.

Turing... don't do this.

Don't do this.

We agreed...

I won't leave you, I won't, I won't...

——————————————————————————

"I will never let you..."

"Never let you return to that sleepless night in the past."

Merka in the bar, sitting on a high stool at the counter, drank until he became heavily intoxicated.

Talking in his drunken state, he lost balance and fell off the stool.

The bottle in his hand slipped, falling heavily on his head, splattering a fresh red blossom of blood.